In Each and Every World
by Just Dyana
Summary: Collection of the short one-shot AUs I come up with, mostly Inukag. Three: Keep Holding On. Tourists just can't seem to follow the rules. It's not that hard: don't stay in the mountain at night. But they always do, and Inuyasha is always there to go save them. Modern, Tourist/Knowledgeable Local AU.
1. The Letter — High School AU

Summary: Inuyasha absolutely hates Valentine's Day. There's no changing his mind about how much it sucks — but it might be possible to at least make it bearable. Warning for language. Modern, High school AU.

Word count: 2,045

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The Letter

If there was one time of the year Inuyasha hated more than any other, it had to be Valentine's Day. He'd be lying if he said that it wasn't because he never received anything. That being said, Inuyasha was very good at lying to himself.

So, yeah, he didn't admit it. Certainly not out loud, but not really to himself, either. Because what could be more pathetic than that?

The _half-breed_, wanting someone to love him? He knew what people would say. He could even feel the bitter taste their laughter would leave on his tongue.

At least, now, he had an excuse for people not approaching him. Something he had forged for himself throughout the years, because it was better to think that people didn't like him because he was a dick than because of some things he had no control on. Then, he could pretend that if he changed his attitude, people would actually, y'know, _like him_.

The truth was though, that he didn't really believe it.

Screw that; he didn't believe it _at all_. But at least, he could pretend.

On Valentine's Day, though, he had to watch as all those people, who despised him for what he was, practically _groveled_ in front of his brother, one year above him. The status of demons and half-demons was just that different, and it was as though people couldn't make a fucking connection between them. What did they all fucking think would happen, if Sesshomaru ever showed interest in a human?

Well, not Sesshomaru would or ever did. He kinda just accepted letters and gifts with a bored expression, but Inuyasha knew he threw them all away. Because yeah, apparently no one ever thought about how they were dogs and so they couldn't eat chocolate.

Inuyasha would have survived Valentine's Day much better if he could have just watched it from afar and thought of it as a moment of torture for Sesshomaru. But no, apparently he couldn't even have that. Would be no fun if he didn't suffer from that too, if he could get just one day of respite. One day when he wouldn't have to think about how much better than him Sesshomaru was and how no one apart from his family could take interest in him.

Yeah, because no one could make him believe that Sesshomaru's better behavior was why people took interest in him. The guy was pretty, but Inuyasha didn't exactly think he looked disgusting — mostly. He also had non-humans attribute, like his ears, and most importantly, he was a _fucking asshole_. He looked down on absolutely everyone and he despised humans. He didn't mind saying it out loud in front of them, and they still worshiped the ground he walked on.

That wasn't the worst though. That was infuriating, but again, Inuyasha could have easily gone through that while enjoying Sesshomaru's torture.

No, what he hated the most was that people fucking _mistook them for each other_. It happened every once in a while during the school year, but that day, it almost seemed like they did it on purpose.

Alright, sure, they both had long white hair, but that was _it_. They didn't have the same morphology at all, Sesshomaru being all thin and slender while he had broader shoulders and just an overall more muscular frame. Also — for fuck's sake, he had _dog ears_. He sometimes wore a bandana, when he didn't feel like facing the looks in the street, but the thing was still _fucking red_. It was _obvious_.

Maybe he should have tried to be understanding and all about how hard it was to declare one's love, but he wasn't exactly known for being understanding and honestly, fuck that. They made no efforts to be understanding about him.

He remembered the first time, the way his heart had missed a bit, how hoarse his voice was when he had said "Thank you". And then, the girl's horrified look while she snatched the letter away, apologized, and ran off to his brother.

He didn't remember her, hadn't gotten a good look, but he just couldn't forget her _eyes_. The horror and the shock in it when she had realized she had gotten the wrong Taisho boy.

He'd stood there wordlessly for a few seconds, trying to understand what was going on, his ears drooping on his head, betraying him even while he tried to keep a straight face. He had heard the laughs. He could still feel the burning in his chest.

He had only needed one time though; he'd adapted quickly, sending them away with a barked remark.

He refused to admit that it made him sad that he was always right.

So basically, he had been alone since as long as he could remember.

Unless you counted the Kikyo thing. Which, really, he didn't think you could. It had been brief, something like a month, when the girl had talked to him, because they had worked together on an assignment. Back then, he had felt like… Like there was _something_ between them. He had followed her like a lost puppy for a while, and then he'd realized that no matter what she felt, no matter if there _was_ something, nothing would ever happen.

Because he was a half-demon.

That was easily the worst betrayal he had ever gone through.

Until he saw Kagome Higurashi crossing the wall towards him, keeping her head down, clutching a pink letter in her hand all while trying not to crumple it.

Well, shit.

If there was one person he wouldn't have expected to do that, it was definitely her. Not just because she was just _way_ too good for Sesshomaru. Also because he had never thought she could mistake them for each other.

While Inuyasha was a loner, Kagome Higurashi was much more social. She had a small group of close friends, but she could still easily talk to about anyone. And in her mind, that apparently included him. She was probably the person he'd had the most contact with recently, although, with her, came a monk, a girl from a demon slayer family, and a fox-demon.

Weirdest group ever, if you asked him.

Kagome was… She had that _smile_. Inuyasha had never been able to make people smile, except maybe his mother. But Kagome always smiled to him. She was _kind_. She had no way of knowing what it meant to him, everything she did, even if it was just saying hello, even if it was just nodding at him.

She was the one person he would rather pretend could like him, because the thought gave him some sort of feeling that he couldn't get anywhere else. But right now, as he watched her walk towards him, and he just _knew_ that the one she wanted to talk to was Sesshomaru, he realized it had been a terrible mistake.

_Kill all hope_.

Soon enough, she was bowing in front of him, holding the letter out. He could tell how much she was blushing, and honestly, he wished it had been for him.

"Keh," he said. He wanted to be cold, biting, like he usually was, but he knew he sounded bitter and dejected. "Sesshomaru's over there, woman."

He pointed towards the tree under which Sesshomaru was standing, bored, waiting for the line of girls to hand him their letters.

Kagome looked up at him, then glanced at Sesshomaru, then back at him. She stood up, because her back was starting to hurt a little, and nervously readjusted her skirt.

"Erm, yes? Does… Does Sesshomaru take your letters?"

At this point, what Kagome meant should definitely have been obvious. But apparently, Inuyasha's brain couldn't handle the change in situation.

"Wha— No, he takes… What do you mean _my_ letters?"

Kagome stared at him like he wasn't making any sense. She was wondering whether or not she should take the hint and assume he was just trying to save her the embarrassment, or if she should insist just a little more. She waved the letter in front of him again.

"_Your_ letter. It's Valentine's Day. I… I didn't make you chocolate because I thought, well, you're a half-dog-demon, so maybe you can't digest it, but I thought I could treat you to some yakitori. I mean… I mean if you want to."

Inuyasha slowly reached out to take the letter, his clawed hands brushing against her small, soft, human ones for a brief instant. Even just that touch was enough to send a pleasant tingle in his arms, and he wondered what it would feel like if she ran her fingers on his skin.

"This is for _me,_" he repeated. "Not for Sesshomaru."

"N—" Kagome rolled her eyes, raising her hands in a gesture of disbelief. "If I wanted to give it to Sesshomaru, why would I be _here_?"

"'s happened before," he mumbled, using one of his claws as a paper knife.

"You're going to read it _now_?"

Kagome sounded horrified, and he looked up quickly, ears drooping again, afraid he hadn't known how to respect procedure. But Kagome didn't look horrified, she was just blushing and embarrassed, fiddling with her hair, probably having not expected to get anything from him just now, and to be honest, the show was much more interesting than the letter.

"Well it's for me, isn't it?" he asked, a grin making its way on his face.

She looked up, visibly ready to yell at him that _yes_, and then noticed his expression. He…was teasing. This was new.

Also, was it just her, or was that grin actually hot?

"I mean, it is. I just… I wasn't expecting you to…"

She was absolutely fucking adorable, and he loved it. He wanted to keep doing that — keep teasing her and see how she would respond, studying every single one of her reactions. But… But if this was the sort of letter he thought it was (and honestly, why would she give another sort of letter on _Valentine's Day_?), he would have plenty of time for that.

"I can read it later," he said, hesitantly.

"Oh, well, you can read it now, I…"

"Maybe we can go, erm, try that restaurant you're talking about." Meat. God, that girl knew how to come for his heart.

Kagome shot him a bright, clearly relieved smile.

"Sure! And… And you can read it later, and, erm, you know, give me your answer later. At some point. If you want to."

He grinned again. Yeah, he could get used to watching her like this. Even if she was rambling, even if she was getting angry at him, he felt that he could just… watch her. For a really long time.

"I already have the answer," he said, his voice so low that she almost didn't hear him.

Kagome blinked quickly a couple times. She'd felt relieved, but now her heart rate was picking up again, and terror filled her again. Her tongue felt like lead, almost impossible to move when she tried to answer him.

"You… You do?"

He smiled. She didn't think she'd ever seen him _smile_ before. Then, he held out his hand. He swallowed, feeling self-conscious at the gesture, knowing that he was displaying his claws, making them impossible to ignore but… But this was him. And if she had any interest in him, she would have to take both. The demon and the human.

Kagome didn't hesitate, barely even looked at his hand, just staring in his eyes, that weren't anymore human, before taking it. He wrapped his fingers around hers, amazed at how she felt, how small her hand was and how soft her skin.

This was real. This was actually happening.

"Let's go," she said, and Inuyasha was happy to let her lead the way.

He glanced at Sesshomaru, still standing under the tree, still receiving his declarations with a bored expression. Valentine's Day still sucked — and if you asked him, it absolutely _was_ a fucking commercial tradition.

That being said, good things could still come out of it.

And he would endure again thousands of Valentine's Day, if in _one_ of them, Kagome built up the courage to talk to him.

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_Hope you enjoyed! Remember: reviews are love, reviews are life! All feedback is greatly appreciated!_


	2. Just Let Go — Supernatural Agency AU

Summary: After yet another encounter with their Nemesis Naraku, Kagome and Inuyasha are back at the Agency. Kagome takes the matter in her own hands and acts on her feeligngs, hoping they will finally be able to have a conversation about the situation. Modern, Supernatural Agency AU.

Word count: 1,519

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Just Let Go

Kagome carefully eyed Inuyasha from over her desk. He hadn't moved since they had come back after their encounter with Naraku, and she could understand him, to a degree. Once more, the man had been able to run away. Once more, they had failed to stop him, which meant that he would keep murdering, torturing, and gaining more and more power.

She also knew that every encounter was a deep blow for him. It wasn't just the man's mockery of his status as a half-demon; it was all the insults to his own strength, the constant, nagging reminder that Inuyasha had failed to protect Kikyo before, and she knew from the way he always looked at her afterwards that he feared he would fail to protect someone again. She didn't doubt him though — and she didn't doubt herself either. But then, Kikyo had been a priestess too, and she still had fallen victim to the demon's hands.

That was, if she was really dead, but neither Inuyasha nor her had really brought up the subject.

With a sigh, she finally stood up. She couldn't bear watching him staring blankly at his computer's screen any longer. She walked over to him and softly closed his laptop while sitting on his desk, which made him look at her, for the first time since they'd come back. His eyes were empty, and she felt a pang in her chest at how defeated he looked.

"We'll get him, Inuyasha."

He scoffed at that and rolled his eyes, and she grimaced. She knew what he thought of her optimism. She also knew that, though he had joined the agency recently, he had been in the business for longer than her. But he had always worked solo, and Kagome didn't have a single unresolved case behind her. Then again, neither did he. Except for this exact one.

"That ain't the problem. The problem is fucking _when_."

She swallowed as he looked away. She knew that. She didn't want other deaths any more than he did, but they couldn't let it stop them either. They needed to rest, and they couldn't let it cloud their mind entirely. They couldn't stop living because of him.

Though she was pretty sure Inuyasha had.

She leaned towards him, reaching for his shoulder, and his head snapped up.

For a second, the world froze, as it often did when they touched, when they looked at each other, and Kagome couldn't hear anything but the beating of her heart.

Inuyasha's eyes found hers, and she swallowed hard. She was pretty good with people, most of the time, but she just couldn't read him. She had no idea what was going on in his head as his gaze studied her carefully, with that strange intensity he always had. But when it dropped to her lips, she could only guess what was going through his mind.

They had had a few… Well, a few slip-ups. Brief kisses before going into the battle field, when they were just so terrified to lose each other, and even more almost kisses interrupted by either Miroku, Sango or Shippo.

They were alone and safe in the office right now though. No one would stop them.

Her hand moved from his shoulder to cup his cheek. He didn't move, didn't say a thing as his eyes went back to hers. She looked for something, _anything_ there to tell her what to do, but she didn't find anything, or rather she was incapable of understanding it.

He tilted his head just a little in her hand, and she decided to take that as an invitation. Her mouth found him slowly, hesitantly. It felt like a first kiss all over again. He barely moved against her at first, until his hand grabbed her waist, almost with desperation. It was the only movement he made, until his mouth finally moved against her in a biting kiss. She felt his fangs against her lips and couldn't help but gasp.

She pulled away for air, her fingers still brushing against his jaw, and he groaned when she moved, his hand on her hip tightening just.

"Shit, Kagome… We can't…"

No. She wasn't going to hear it. She had wanted this for so long, and she was positive he wanted it too. He couldn't give her the entire speech about how they shouldn't but then behave like that around her. It wasn't fair, and though she knew he was only trying to protect them both, she refused to go through that once more. This time, before he could continue, her fingers slipped around his neck and she pulled him up towards her.

He followed without any resistance, coming to stand between her legs, and the second their bodies touched, it felt like all his walls fell. Suddenly his hands were everywhere, pressing her closer to him, while his chest was pressed against hers, pushing her down on the desk, forcing her to use one of her hands to support herself while the other secured her grip on him in his hair.

His fangs nipped on her lower lip, and she opened her mouth, using the moment to push her tongue in his. He groaned, taken by surprise, and she smiled against his lips. What did he think, that she was going to sit there and let him have all control? Where would the fun be in _that_?

Decided not to let him take the advantage, her hand left his hair to travel to his chest, slipping under his shirt to trace his well-defined abs. He hissed at that, and she left his mouth to place a trail of kisses on his jaw, then on his neck, getting a few more groans from him.

"Kagome," he practically whimpered. Again, he called her name in such a pleading way. She knew part of him probably wanted to tell her to stop, just like she knew he desperately _didn't_ want her to stop. It had always been his dilemma, but she hoped she could _show_ him he had nothing to fear.

She found his mouth again, slightly softer this time, despite wanting nothing more than to get to know his entire body, _right now_.

He was the one who surprised her then as his hands pulled on her waist, grinding his body against hers, and _oh god, _that felt good. His clawed fingers pushed her usual long skirt up, trailing on her naked skin, and she couldn't help but shiver and close her eyes. Oh, she was weak for his claws. It was his turn to grin.

"You like that?"

There was nothing teasing in his voice, just genuine curiosity, but all Kagome could do was nod wordlessly. She wondered, briefly, how what he thought of his claws. He usually hated everything that reminded him he was a half-demon. To know that something like that could actually give her _pleasure_… How did he feel about it?

"You're fucking wonderful," he mumbled.

She opened her eyes to look up at him, lips parted and swollen from his kissing. One of his hands left her thigh to grab her chin, his thumb tracing her lips delicately. He kissed her again, much slower, much more sensually, but he actually broke it off when she tried to pull him close again. His hand didn't leave her leg though.

"You have no fucking idea what you do to me," he said, his voice low.

She gave a small, hesitant smile. "In a good way, I hope?"

He let out a curse as his fingers started to draw circles on her knee, the sensation making it very hard for her to focus. "Are you sure, Kagome? Things are a fucking mess right now."

As if there was any doubt on her side.

"Inuyasha, if _you_ don't want—"

"Don't say that," he interrupted her immediately. "I know what you're thinking. _Don't._ I fucking_want you_, Kagome."

She felt an intense warmth spread in her chest and she swallowed, unsure of how to respond at that intensity. He was right, of course, about things being a mess, but she was tired of letting that separate them.

"You think _I_ don't?" she asked quietly.

He almost groaned at that. Again, she had no idea what she did to him when she said that stuff. The thought that _she_ wanted him was a _dangerous_ one. It made him want to take her right now on his desk. Although, given her smell, she probably wouldn't mind that. He swallowed slowly.

"…Yeah. You do."

"Don't push me away, Inuyasha," she pleaded softly. _Not again._

He closed his eyes. Things _were_ hectic right now, and the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her, though he knew he had done that before. But they had a right to be happy. They _deserved_ to have some happiness. It was far too late to pretend he didn't care for her, and if either of them was to die tomorrow, they'd better make _now _count.

So he kissed her again. Praying he would never have to pull away.

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_I have a confession: for this story, I literally just wanted to write about Inuyasha and Kagome making out. I hope it was enjoyable! Reviews are always appreciated!_


	3. Perfect — Soulmate AU

Summary: Inuyasha is on his way to meet his soulmate. Not gonna lie, he's terrified. There's so much that can go wrong, but there's also so much that can go right...

Word count: 1,363

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Perfect

"So," Izayoi said, trying her best to hide the nervousness in her voice, "today's the big day then. Are you excited, Inuyasha?"

The half-demon had to bite back his growl. He knew his mother was trying her best to make it look like everything would be okay, and, well, maybe it would be. He highly doubted it, but you never know. For now, he managed to give somewhat of a smile to his mother, but it was far from sincere and it certainly didn't fool her. There were obviously tears in her eyes, and he knew it was because she feared for his life.

There wasn't a half-demon on the planet who could forget about the headlines, a few years back, when one of them had been murdered by his soulmate who refused to think she could be with a… Well, the term she'd used had been _monster_.

Half-demons had been added to the soulmates program very recently — just twenty years, though the program had been running for close to a century now. Demons were not included in it. They were immortal, after all, and people (humans, anyway) considered they'd meet their soulmate with or without help, whereas humans, with their shorter lifespan, shouldn't "waste their time" with someone else.

A lot of bullshit, if you asked Inuyasha. His parents weren't soulmates, but they had been really happy together, until his father's death. Their love wasn't any less important, any less _real_ just because they weren't soulmates.

His mom had been pushed by that whole soulmate thing in the arms of her childhood friend, who she obviously knew was her soulmate before the traditional meeting with an official member of the program at sixteen, since they had both noticed the reaction of their soul marks long before then.

But it hadn't worked out. It was a painful subject for his mother, so he didn't ask much about it, but he knew for a fact that she had been _so_ happy to meet his father and to _get away_ from the man.

So yeah, that thing could be shitty.

At least it kept humans with spiritual powers busy, since they were the only ones who could find someone's soulmate without the help of the soul mark. That way they weren't trying to murder demons or whatever other stupid idea went through their mind.

Inuyasha didn't really like humans.

Not that he liked demons any more. He kinda disliked everyone — but they all hated him, so he didn't feel bad about it.

"Let's go," he simply replied, trying not to react to the way his mother's shoulders fell at his tone. He hated to make her feel like that, but he just couldn't fake happiness when there was none. Everyone else was probably thrilled right now.

Yet another reminder he wasn't _like the others_.

The drive to the station was quiet, his mom not trying to engage a conversation once again and mostly trying to prevent her lip from trembling. He spent it staring into the blue eyes of his soulmate. "Kagome Higurashi" was written behind the picture. She looked… She looked pretty. There was a smile dancing on her face, and she looked like a nice girl, but then, the picture must have been taken right before she'd met the expert who would use her spiritual 'signature' to track down her soulmate.

Him.

He wondered what she'd thought when she had received his picture. Had she been horrified? Had her family already taken legal action to break things off, no matter what would happen today? People who didn't want a relationship with their soulmate were pretty rare and often frowned upon, but there were still ways around it. Maybe she wouldn't even show up today.

He got out of the car and gave his mother a nod, before walking in the station alone. They had agreed that she wouldn't come in with him, though if he was honest, he would absolutely have needed her with him for this. But, well, people rarely, if ever, brought their parents with them to the Soulmate meeting.

Once a spiritual expert had figured out who your soulmate was, a meeting was organized, generally by taking one to the other from wherever they were. It just so happened that his soulmate was Japanese as well, and so soon, he had received the cold, official letter giving him a time and place to meet her.

He noticed around him many more people, clearly waiting for their own soulmate, and swallowed as he felt his stress rising up again.

Hopefully, she wouldn't try to kill him.

He looked around as people came and went, as couples left together. Some of them carried a suitcase, ready to start their life together immediately. He wondered if she would.

Seconds went by, turning into minutes, and soon enough, he had convinced himself that she wouldn't show up. He couldn't believe he'd let himself hope, couldn't believe that—

"Inuyasha?"

He froze.

There she was. Standing in front of him. Huh, she was shorter than he had expected her to be. No suitcase, but… But a smile. That had to mean _something_, right?

He took a step towards her, swallowing hard. "Kagome," he replied, his voice coming out more as a low growl. He noticed her smell almost immediately, even here, in the crowded place, and somehow, it was then that he _knew _that she was the right person. Even before their soul marks reacted.

It was her turn to step forward, beaming. She held out her hand, and he frowned. His mark wasn't on his…

And then, somehow, reaching surprisingly high for her size, she grabbed his ears, massaging them with curiosity.

"Oh wow they're so sof—"

The contact stopped as abruptly as it had started, and she stepped back, blushing, and mumbled to herself something that sounded a lot like "Oh my _God_, Kagome, I can't believe you just _did_ that".

"Ahem, sorry about that."

He should have been mad, but actually, the contact had been… nice? Her hands were soft, careful, and she hadn't been trying to hurt him in any way. She hadn't been disgusted by them, either, though he could only assume that she would appreciate less "cute" appendices, such as his claws. Just for that, he felt rather glad they hadn't shaken hands.

And, well, now the discreet marks on his ears, barely visible under the fur, had probably changed colors. The one on her fingers certainly had.

His soulmate. She was his soulmate.

He cleared his throat. "No suitcase?" He hoped he didn't sound too disappointed.

She grimaced. "No. I have a big math test tomorrow that I really need to be there for." She looked sheepish. "Sorry. I'll try to come back soon?"

"Keh. Ya'd better, or I'll come to look for ya," he mumbled, and she laughed lightly at his words, the sound music to his ears. He'd always wondered what it was like to meet your soulmate. He knew there was more than one reaction, but this felt so _perfect_. So _right._ Like he'd always wished it would be, and like he had always thought was impossible for him, because no one could possibly be happy to have a half-demon as a soulmate, right?

Yet here she was. Standing there. _Smiling_.

"Wanna, erm, go get a coffee? And, erm, y'know, talk. Or whatever it is ya want to do."

Kagome chuckled softly at his obvious embarrassment. She stared at her soulmate, oblivious to most of his current emotional turmoil. He looked nice. A bit rough, maybe, but… But she could see it. She didn't buy the rumor according to which everything went perfectly fine between two soulmates and, well, there was something a bit awkward about meeting the person who was supposed to be your other half.

Still, right now, looking in his golden eyes, she felt something _great_ would come out of this.

"Sure," she replied, holding out her hand.

He hesitated briefly before carefully taking it, paying attention not to hurt her with his claws. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

_Yeah. I think I can make this work._

_I _want _to make this work_.

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_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a review to let me know — it's always very appreciated and the only thing we fanfiction authors get for our writing!_

_Dya._


	4. Keep Holding On

Summary: Tourists just can't seem to follow the rules. It's not that hard: don't stay in the mountain at night. But they always do, and Inuyasha is always there to go save them.

Word count: 3,335

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Keep Holding On

Inuyasha couldn't stand tourists. He didn't like them walking around in his town like they owned it, didn't like them taking pictures, didn't like them buying stuff and getting overexcited about "how good these people were at crafting!". Yeah, they were, of fucking course. They'd been doing that for centuries, if not more. Hadn't needed them for that either — except that now, tourism was their main income, and they didn't have a fucking choice.

He didn't like the competition it had started between villagers, didn't like the people who had started settling down in town for the money and who certainly were _not_ traditional craftsmen, and most of all, he despised the two enormous hotels that had opened at the bottom of the mountain, allowing the tourists to come up in those ridiculous, hideous white buses.

There was nothing good about any of that, if you asked him. Good for the economy? Lie. They were doing just fine before, and they'd be doing just fine if they were still able to take care of animals, as they had for as long as anyone could remember, instead of being forced to abandon their crops and farming.

Good for the culture? Lie —and stupid. Those people didn't care about their culture, they cared about the _exoticism_. They cared about taking pictures with an old man dressed in colorful clothing, and they cared about being able to tell all their friends, back in the big city, how "this trip has changed my life" and "the people there really live with nothing, it's _so_ inspiring!".

Ha. And then when they came down of the mountain to study, they were treated like shit. Like peasants who didn't know anything, and their culture, their way of dressing, of speaking, of _thinking_, as some weird abnormality that could be made fun of, but was just _cool_ when someone who'd been there walked in with one of their necklaces, without any idea of what it was supposed to mean.

Sure, that wasn't the only thing Inuyasha had had to deal with, but what he got from being a half-demon only added to that blatant hypocrisy. And he wasn't even talking about the way they had insinuated that only indigenous women would fuck a demon, the insult on his mother barely hidden.

Most of them had never even met a fucking demon, of course, since they had abandoned most urbanized areas, remaining in some of the last havens, such as his mountain.

And, to be honest, making sure it remained like that. For now, at least, no one had dared trying to build new, modern houses on the mountain. Or, well, they'd tried, but there had been gruesome murders, or said places had been destroyed, and the people in the village hadn't let anyone know of the secrets to be accepted here.

Yet, because Inuyasha had no idea how long that would last.

But they did come to visit. Demons didn't do anything about that, unless you did some stupid shit that really pissed them off.

Well, unless you were in the mountain during the night.

They warned tourists about that continually. _Don't throw your trash in the mountain._ _Don't stray from the path. And, whatever you do, don't, under any circumstances, stay there after the sun has set._

Still, he couldn't say he was surprised when a travel courier bursted into the only inn in the village, followed by a group of distressed college students, only a couple of years younger than him, minutes before the sunset.

Of course, Sango was the one to walk up to them. Better off that way. He'd been told he scared people. Which was good, actually. Maybe that way they'd _respect the fucking rules_. Not that Sango was one to joke with said rules, but she at least managed to stay calm.

From where he was, he could only hear bits and pieces about the conversation.

"Students… Lost… Fall… Tried to get them…"

Until he couldn't take it anymore. The sun was setting already. Every second was vital now, they couldn't wait for the end of that story.

"How many of them?" he asked, standing up, making the woman start then cower.

"F-four," she replied while Sango glared at him.

He cursed. Fucking _four_? What the— had they thought it'd be _a fun experience_?

"You mentioned a cliff, right?" Sango asked, her voice still calm, but he could tell there was urgency running under it, and he hissed. He had quite a precise idea of the place the woman was talking about, and that was— That was _bad_.

"Right," she replied. "Eri slipped, and then—"

Again, they didn't have time for that.

"Sango. Leaving."

She nodded, turning back to glance at her husband. "Miroku, can you take it from there?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. In other circumstances, a more dangerous night for example, or if they had a real chance of bringing them back alive, he would be joining them, but tonight he'd probably be better here, calming down the panicked group.

Him and Sango were walking out, after she had just taken the time to grab her giant boomerang, when they were stopped by a young man, who looked exceptionally _common_. Brown hair, brown eyes…

"Is there any way I can come with you?"

…and a hero complex, apparently.

"Certainly not," Inuyasha growled before Sango could even open her mouth. "We don't need someone else out there."

He paled. "But Higurashi…"

"We'll bring her back," Sango promised, setting a calming hand on his shoulder. "For now though, the best thing you can do is stay here, okay?"

He nodded, but didn't move out of the way.

"Her?" Inuyasha asked.

"Four girls," Sango replied, glancing at him briefly.

"Keh." That was unusual, to say the least. People who wanted to prove themselves or whatever other shit went through their stupid minds were usually boys. "We'll get your girlfriend, boy. Now move."

"Oh, Higurashi isn't my—"

Inuyasha took a threatening step forward. No fucking _time_ for that. Sango gave the young man one last smile, and then they were out in the night.

The air was cold. It was spring already, but they were pretty high up, and demonic energy somehow tended to cool the air. Scientists would probably have had quite a lot to say about it, had they dared to stay around to study it. But they last team had met an unfortunate ending, and no one had come around since then.

"We'll have to be quick," Inuyasha said as they started running towards the forest.

Sango didn't say anything, simply bringing to her lips the whistle made of wood she carried around her neck. Only seconds later, a fire-cat demon was out of the woods, and Sango easily jumped on her back, in a movement made swift by practice.

He was used to that by now, but still, it was quite impressive.

The sun was setting just as they ventured in the mountain.

* * *

They ran, unnoticed, silent, for what felt like hours. It had to be shorter than that, but the sound of the forest and the mountain _awakening _around them was a worrying weight on their shoulders.

They both knew there was probably no point in doing that. Demons weren't known for their patience. They'd be lucky if they even left bones behind. Yet, neither of them considered abandoning them. Maybe, by some miracle, they had managed to hide somewhere. Maybe they'd been able to push the demons away.

Well, it turned out it was a night for a miracle.

"Smell 'em," Inuyasha simply said, directing Sango and Kirara in the right direction.

He didn't say he also smelled countless demons. There was no point, and they'd find it out soon enough. Plus, Sango was rather sensitive to the energy, so she was probably aware of it already. Both of them braced themselves for what they would find. They knew they were nearing the bottom of the cliff. It wasn't a nice fall, but it wasn't high enough for them to worry all that much about it. There was however a slope at the bottom, so the girls had probably rolled from there. They were more than likely injured, but they would have survived it.

The encounter with the demons, however…

Sango's heart seemed to stop beating when they arrived. She didn't recall ever seeing such a swarm of demons, ever. At least they were all minor demons, looking like shapeless, flying snakes. All gathered around one spot in a disgusting nest, a sight that made her sick, even though she couldn't yet see what they were focusing on. She grabbed the Hiraikotsu in her back, throwing it with a scream.

It didn't make that much damage, though it definitely killed quite a few, but it made the demons pull back for a second, revealing the most surprising sight.

The four girls. Alive, with three of them crouched on the ground. One of them, on her knees, hands above her, creating a blue light that seemed to keep the demons away— _Barrier_.

During that split second, Inuyasha met the girl's blue eyes.

The world stopped.

Then, the demons were back, cutting him from the view, and he was thrown back into reality. What had he seen in there? Strength, determination, _power_, but… But what the hell _was_ that?

A priestess? He'd only met three persons with spiritual powers in his life. Kaede, Miroku, and Kikyo — his ex, who had left the village years ago, claiming to want "a normal life". A life he couldn't be a part of, apparently.

Sango caught the Hiraikotsu again, then glanced at him. He could always use his Tetsusaiga, sure, but then he couldn't be sure he wouldn't injure the girls. The barrier was probably already under a strong assault, he doubted it could take much more. Which meant they'd have to finish the demons by hand.

It took quite some time, mostly because they just fucking kept coming, driven to the blue light like moths to a flame.

Inuyasha managed to catch a few more glances at the girl with the blue eyes. There was nothing special about her. Dark long hair, and sure, rather pretty, but nothing _incredible._ There was just _something _about her though. Maybe he was just like the other demons, feeling fascinated by her, but even that didn't seem quite right.

Once they had managed to scare the demons away, Sango ran towards the girls, only to be harshly pushed back a couple of feet when she touched the barrier.

"Don't lower it, Kagome!" a girl begged.

"Yeah— They look like they're just the same!"

Inuyasha winced at that, just a little. It was obvious they were looking at him, at his golden eyes, his white hair, his ears, and probably also his claws, which were now dripping with blood.

He met the girl's eyes, again. He noted the absence of disgust or of fear there, like she thought he couldn't possibly be a danger, and then the curiosity.

Her arms fell to her side, and the barrier disappeared.

In only seconds, Sango was next to them, helping them onto Kirara's back despite the protests.

"Inuyasha, you need to take two of them. Kirara can't lift them all."

He nodded. Who did she think he was? He knew how they did it.

Easily, without a word, he lifted the girl with the blue eyes with only one arm, then grabbed one of her friend — short black hair cut in a bob, looking terrified. At least, neither of them tried to push him away. He should have given them so explanation, actually, but he was bad at that, and they needed to be quiet. If the girl's power worked like a magnet for demons, they didn't want to get any more attention on themselves.

Which was why the ride home was quiet, behind the fire of Kirara's steps, until they finally found the village's reassuring shapes. Kirara then disappeared back into the woods, with a friendly mewl at Sango, and Inuyasha unceremoniously dropped the girl on the ground, only for the blue eyed girl to grab onto him almost desperately, and he realized she was balanced on only one foot.

"Sango!" he called. "Twisted ankle here, I think!"

She nodded. "A broken arm over there. Let's get them inside."

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Inuyasha said, anger growing in his voice. "You followed them _to help them_?"

The blue-eyed-girl — whose name was apparently Kagome Higurashi — fidgeted in front of him while Miroku took care of her ankle, having the intelligence not to cross him at the moment.

"Well, I couldn't just leave them alone, could I?" she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

His amazement at her power was long gone, and his interest had been somehow dampened since they had walked in. He could hear Sango's reprimands at the other girls, who had already been taken care of, but too bad for her, they'd have to talk to her about her powers, and he was the only one available for that now.

Which was the nice way of saying that Sango had decided it'd be better if he yelled at one person instead of three.

"That's so fucking _stupid_," he spat. "You could all have died."

Her head snapped up. "Well we didn't, alright? But _they_ would have if I hadn't joined, am I correct?" Her eyes fell on her hands again. "Though I have no idea how I did that…"

"About that," Miroku started calmly, "you have…"

"You didn't fucking know about that though, right?" Inuyasha growled. "You put yourself in danger for no reasons! That's stupid as shit!"

Her eyes started shining with anger. "I _get_ that. But we were _fine_." There was a pause. "Thanks to you." That seemed like a very painful thing to say just then. "It's not like Eri tripped on purpose, though, okay? We didn't _want_ this to happen!"

There was tears in her voice on that last sentence, and Inuyasha felt his entire body tense. Shit. Tears. He couldn't deal with tears. He reached out clumsily.

"Nah— Don't— Just don't do that again, 'kay?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "_Why_ would I do that again? I told you, we didn't _mean _to do that!"

"Miss Higurashi," Miroku finally managed to intervene, "were you aware of your powers?"

She seemed taken aback by the question, and she looked down at her hands again, opening then closing them a few times. There was nothing particular about them. Her skin was rather pale, and it looked smooth, nice to the touch — where the fuck was his mind going right now?

"No," she ended up saying, slowly. "I mean, my family has a shrine, but I always thought these were… You know… Just stories."

Inuyasha scoffed loudly, and she glared daggers at him once more.

"It's possible that they'd never awoken before, since you had never met demons," Miroku explained calmly. "But now, you will need to train to get them under control. From what Sango told me, they're strong enough to have an effect on humans, which can be dangerous. Do you know anyone who could do that?"

Her lower lip started trembling, and she bit it, the movement attracting Inuyasha's attention in a way he wasn't sure he liked.

"No," she whispered, and she sounded so defeated it made him wince uncomfortably.

"Then you will have to come back here," Miroku said, almost making Inuyasha jump. "I'm sure Kaede won't mind helping you out."

"Hey, wait now, Miroku—"

"I'll probably do that," Kagome cut him off. When he turned to look at her, incredulous, she was looking at him, furious. "I get it, you think I'm an idiot, but I still need to do that! I can't risk hurting people— Is that really so hard to understand?"

That took him off guard. He hadn't meant it like that, though if he was honest, he didn't really want someone from outside the village to be around and to learn their secrets. Still, the hurt in her voice got to him more than he would have liked to. He knew he could be kind of a dick, but he didn't want to make people feel bad.

Didn't want to make _her_ feel bad.

"Well," he mumbled, admitting defeat unusually quickly, pushing his hands deep in his pockets, "then if it's all settled, I guess we can let your boyfriend in."

She blinked. "My boyfriend?"

"A kid called Hojo," Sango said from the entrance as she leaned against the doorframe. "He's been really insistant about seeing you."

"Oh… Hojo's not my boyfriend."

_Does that mean she's free?_— Hell, damn his mind and damn his hormones and damn whatever it was about that girl that fascinated him so.

"Well, can he come in?" Sango asked tilting her head. "You don't have to see him if you're too tired."

She let out a long sigh, then smiled. "No, it will be fine. Let him in."

Inuyasha shrugged. Why should he care? It was none of his business. The second Hojo came in, crying out the girl's name, he walked out.

Oblivious to her eyes on his back.

* * *

They left the next morning. It was a bit complicated, fitting all the students in the already full inn, but they managed to do it. Well, Sango and Miroku managed to do it, anyway. Inuyasha went to his spot in the tree at the center of the village, where he spent most of his nights as long as the temperatures weren't too low.

He watched the group boarding the bus from afar, and couldn't help but notice the girl, standing aside, looking around as though she was looking for someone. It wasn't until Sango's Hiraikotsu hit him, making him fall from the tree, and she ran up to him — well, limped with the help of her crutches — that he understood what, or rather who, exactly she was searching for.

"What d'ya want?" he growled as he stood up, particularly annoyed. It certainly hadn't hurt, but Sango needed to fucking stop doing that. He knew she thought it was hilarious, but it wasn't a reason, dammit.

She set her clutches against a bench, then hopped to him on one foot, and he caught her by the waist when she lost her balance, because of fucking course she would have, why had she had that stupid idea, did she really have such low survival instincts, what even went through her—

Then, she pushed herself on her tiptoes, and, resting a hand on his cheek, she kissed him gently on the other one.

It was soft and… And kind. He didn't know quite how to explain what he'd felt, and before he knew it, she was pulling away already.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said, his name used in a surprisingly gentle way. "For saving me."

For the next moment, he was just staring at her, staring in her eyes, mouth open, unable to just— you know— _words_. But then, she grinned.

"You'd better have worked on that temper of yours by the time I come back, or we'll have a problem."

And again, the moment was gone.

"Like _hell_ I will," he growled, but he was pretty sure he was smirking.

She gave him a bright, honest smile and winked at him, before grabbing her clutches again and walking away quickly, hopping in the bus, which left almost immediately.

Miroku walked up to him, resting his arm on Inuyasha's shoulder while the half-demon watched it take her away.

"This Kagome is a really sweet girl, isn't she my friend?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and ignored him. He knew Miroku wanted him to be with a girl, but was there any way for him not to be so _obvious_ about it.

Still, for maybe the first time in his life, he'd be waiting for one of those dumb buses to come back.

* * *

_Hope you have enjoyed! This was requested on my Tumblr ^-^ Please leave a review! (:_


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